


EVEN THE WIND CAN FEAR

by clumsykitty



Category: 1872 - Fandom, Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcoholic Tony Stark, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cap_Ironman Holiday Gift Exchange 2017, Demons, F/M, Getting Together, Hellhounds, Horror, Hurt, I AM SORRY, It's 1872, M/M, Magic, Mistery, Mutual Pining, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pain, Pale Rider, Protective Steve Rogers, SecretWars:1872, Stony - Freeform, Supernatural Crossover, There is no Winchester Bros here, Tony Feels, Western, kind of, references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 11:11:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13075656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsykitty/pseuds/clumsykitty
Summary: In the lost town of Timely, things do not go well and with the appearance of a crossroads demon offering Tony something he wants above all things, only magic and a pair of extra hands can help the blacksmith succeed between demons and Pale Riders conspiring against him.





	EVEN THE WIND CAN FEAR

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jiokra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jiokra/gifts).



> This western story has references from Supernatural Serie, but like the clumsy cat that I am, I took some licenses about the myths and monsters from Supernatural to adjust them. Also, English is not my native language, forgive me if I have mistakes, I try so hard doing my best. I say thanks to my friend Tathie because she taught me all the things I needed to know about Supernatural, to Kasu Tailer for help me with the plot and story and finally thanks to fgalaxy for give the crazy and happy encourage to write so much.
> 
> This is my gift for the Cap_Ironman Holiday Exchange 2017 to jiokra. I hope you will enjoy this story, with all my best wishes for you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

_I watched thee when the foe was at our side,_

_Ready to strike at him—or thee and me,_

_Were safety hopeless—rather than divide_

_with one loved save love and liberty._

_I watched thee on the breakers, when the rock,_

_Received our prow, and all was storm and fear,_

_And bade thee cling to me through every shock;_

_This arm would be thy bark, or breast thy bier._

_I watched thee when the fever glazed thine eyes,_

_Yielding my couch and stretched me on the ground_

_When overworn with watching, ne’er to rise_

_thence if thou an early grave hadst found._

_The earthquake came, and rocked the quivering wall,_

_And men and nature reeled as if with wine._

_Whom did I seek around the tottering hall?_

_For thee. Whose safety first provide for? Thine._

_And when convulsive throes denied my breath_

_The faintest utterance to my fading thought,_

_To thee—to thee—e’en in the gasp of death_

_spirit turned, oh! oftener than it ought._

_Thus much and more; and yet thou lov’st me not,_

_And never wilt! Love dwells not in our will._

_Nor can I blame thee, though it be my lot_

_To strongly, wrongly, vainly love thee still_

 

**Love and Death, by Lord Byron.**

* * *

 

 

**EVEN THE WIND CAN FEAR**

 

 

Big Grey Bear looked up at the red sky, the dark blue and violet clouds and the first stars of a chilly night, one of many as the days got shorter and the night was longer than before. He smelled in the air, the slightest difference that only a shaman-like him could notice. The sacred ground where he was sitting on, trembling in anticipation. Big Grey Bear stood up and searched around with his fur coat on his shoulders, a torch in hand with a good fire. The wind spoke the ancient warning and the shaman saw him far away over the hills in the Savage Mountains. A Pale Rider on his black horse. That was the first time that Big Grey Bear felt something like that, a heavyweight in his spirit when the white men came to Doom’s Valley with the sins of their souls profaning his ancient home.

A tall, fat white man in white clothes killed many of his kind and took the Kirby’s River, claiming that it belonged to him and nothing more. The shaman was a witness of good white men who fight against this evil angry man of white clothes. One of them with a golden star on his chest. Then, the Pale Rider appeared, and the golden star was blemish, innocent blood covering the hot sand. The greed, the envy and corruption reign in Doom’s Valley and this small town named Timely. Big Grey Bear didn’t see the Pale Rider until others several full moons, and the wind spoke again, whispering unfamiliar words because the hungry of power of white men was waking up an evil from underground, waiting like a depredator for the desperation and tears which come one afternoon when the gold star was pierced by a bullet and the hopes and dreams were shattered.

The earth and the sky were afraid because not only the Pale Rider rides on the Valley, a demon traveled haunting a victim. The shaman saw it, floating in the air in the form of a black twisted dust. The winds fear too, this demon was dangerous, treacherous and followed by ghost dogs sniffling the ground in search for their prey. Big Grey Bear took his fur coat and call his horse, he needed to find Red Wolf and tell him about the Death walking out again, warning him about the demon with those monsters raising from the darkness, ready to bring days of pain and destruction on the land of the living ones. If the demon could find the restless soul that he needed it, nothing will stop the evil claim white men and his own people as their servants forever. Because when even the wind can fear, the light must shine again to save the mankind.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

**_Timely, 1872_ **

_October._

 

 

Anthony Stark was sitting against a tree, with a whiskey bottle in one hand and a rotten golden star in the other. He promised Carol to not drink anymore, but it was very difficult when the leaves fall from the trees and cover Steve’s tomb. Yes, Timely was safe and recovering from Fisk’s plans but he felt so lonely and lost. The harmonic didn’t sound in the evenings, just right there, under the tall nut narrow white tree in the crossroad outside the town near to The Bog, where Steve and he talked many times, discussing angry another and stayed in silence a few. The blacksmith thought about them, two men in a poor place trying to do something else after the Civil War, the Sheriff always looking after him, taking away that damn whiskey.

He wasn’t drunk at all, or at least that was he supposed when a distant blurry figure appeared on the horizon, walking in a very familiar rhythm. Tony’s heart started to beat furiously because of the known shape approaching him with the sun behind the man. Hair at the broad neck, narrow hips, and strong legs. The drunk brunette dropped his eyes to the golden star in his left hand, caressing the hole in the middle. It couldn’t be. He was there, in the funeral, he saw that pale face before Carol closed the coffin. Something was wrong, and everything was ok again. Tony hold his breath and looked at the not so stranger stopping in front of him with a cold breeze shaking his blond hair.

“Tony, what are you doing?”

“Steve, Steve, I…”

“You shouldn’t be drinking. You promised Natasha to help her with the pumpkins.”

Maybe he was drunk enough to hallucinate with Steve Rogers scolding him for this behavior when he was so dead. His hand tightened the golden star to remember himself that. Steve was dead and maybe was his fault after all. Like the soldiers who died on the battlefield thanks to his inventions. Anthony’s eyes run from the toes to the head of this man so likely as the lost Sheriff. He couldn’t be. But heard him, his tall figure covering the sun hitting the white tree of the crossroad was enough for the brunette to shut up the little voice in his head screaming ‘ _run fast’_ over and over again. Steve kneel, smiling gently at him.

“Give me the bottle, Tony.”

“No”, okay, he was stubborn enough even if he was talking with a ghost.

“I can’t let you down again, Tony. You know it.”

“I am a grown man, Steve. I can take care of my own business.”

“Doesn’t look that to me.”

Steve smile for the good men who invented science. Steve smile and Tony felt so alive.

“Please, don’t go.”

“Let’s do this: you buried the bottle and I will stay. Sounds a plan to you?”

Tony nodded, taking the offering hand to stand with a wobble. He laughed a little while he was escorted by the blond as the Sheriff used to do in past times. They walked a few meters from the white tree, near of a rock with a strange sign that Stark didn’t bother, Steve was looking for something to make a hole and the vision brought him another smile. A strong dry stick was enough, the brunette caved a few inches before thrown the whiskey into the insignificant hole. The good sheriff put a hand on his shoulders, whistling as he finished to cover the bottle with the hot sand with the sun dying behind them, making a single shadow, but Tony was happy to say anything.  Even the alcohol in his body seemed to disappear with this short exercise, feeling better. A freezing air surrounded them, shaking his body against his will, so the brunette twist on his heels to search his coat when the hand vanished.

“Steve?”

He turned around, but Rogers wasn’t there.

“Steve! You liar!” roared, kicking dust and little stones.

He stumbled, almost falling but the white tree helped him as support. The blacksmith was near to recover his bottle from that hole but then, his eyes catch the shine of the glass. His precious whiskey was there, intact next to the tree. With an arched eyebrow, Tony turn to his recent work and back to the bottle. Maybe he was very drunk after all, hallucinating a real Steve and burring maybe a rock or leaves, what the hell. Shaking his head, he held the bottle in one hand, taking his coat at the same time and start to walk back to Timely, slapping himself on his mind for being so idiotic. Glowing lights making feel better but a little sick. Walking fast and forgetting the whole episode, turn to the Barnes House. Natasha surely was tapping his toe because he was late. The damn Fall Festival or whatever they called. Every single house was decorated with pumpkins with a candle inside and cut with scary faces, someone very similar to Fisk for no reason.

“I am home, darling!”

“Anthony Stark, you moron.”

“Reserve your precious words for another opportunity, woman. Pass me a good slice of bread with some jar if you are so kind. I need food… and a big mug fills with strong coffee.”

“You need a bath.” The redhead rolls her eyes but doing what he asked, “You stinks like if you were laying with a corpse.”

Tony retorted. “Maybe I did.”

“You promised…”

“Later, Nat. Now I want to help with these lonely pumpkins. Where is Red Wolf, by the way?”

“He rode to the West in the morning, he says something about some guys… bounty hunters.”

“There is nothing in Timely to hunt down.”

“I will search for myself once you finished your duties, Mister.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Everybody in Timely was so busy in his own matters that nobody saw a rider in the distance. He didn’t get closer, so the new patrol never noticed him. With the festival, the very first since Civil War, the citizens in the town full the air with the smell of the candles, fresh pumpkins and some pies and candies of every woman cooking for the rest. Tony was lost between the dances and the children asking him to use his giant metal invention. With a full moon and a good night, the blacksmith’s mind was lost in other stuff but his earlier hallucination. When he got tired, once on his bed, he looked over the frame where an old picture was supposed to be. It was empty with the glass broken, so he thought that maybe he did it when he drank the whiskey. With a shrug, Tony slept like a baby, forgetting the incident.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 _November_.

 

The second time that Anthony Stark saw Steven was in the crossroad again, the blacksmith was returning from the Roxxon Silver Mines. He stopped next to the tree and remembered the incident, the little talk, those blonde hairs moving with the cool breeze, that smile go deep inside him, warming him maybe like a blanket in a lonely night. How he moves and scratch the soil with the dry branch. What he buried? He couldn’t say, so Tony was an about to dismount his horse and find out when a shadow covers him. Blinking in confusion, he looked up and saw the good Sheriff walking towards his spot, smiling and pointing to his black trench coat.

“Was that?”

“Urich’s wife present” answered without hesitation “Steve, why?”

“Why what, Tony?”

“You… here… I am going to die?”

“You read too much” laughed the blonde, calling him to his side “And drink too much.”

“I am not… okay, just a couple of… okay, maybe half of a bottle. A little one.”

“Give me that bottle, Tony.”

“You will disappear like before, I know.”

“If I promise to stay, you will leave the whiskey?”

“Maaaybe.”

Steve smile, goddammit, and Tony felt so alive. “Stay.”

“Come with me, please.”

He obeyed, maybe because he was a little drunk and maybe because he wanted to find out what, in the name of the good fellows in Timely, he buried in that hole. The Sheriff walked as usual to the spot and waited for him, crossing his arms with a wooden straw on his lips. Too much alive to be no dead, thought the blacksmith, joining him with the bottle in his right hand. For his surprise, the hole was empty and new for the matters. A dry stick was left aside next to the same rock. When he digs that? Stark shook his head and put the precious whiskey inside, taking his time to cover the hole with Sheriff’s shadow on his left side. Standing up, the brunette smiled when he noticed that his vision didn't vanish with the cool air.

“Now?”

“Tony, are you aware that every time you drink I am going to be here?”

“… more or less… but why?”

“You have asked too many questions today. What happened in Roxxon Silver Mines?”

The brunette grunted for the evasion. “Carol and Red Wolf found three cows dead there, wolves maybe. I helped them with a new fence for the cattle. That’s all.”

“And now you must go back to the town, the sun is setting down.”

“I do not want to.”

“Please, Tony.”

“Come with me and let the good citizens of Timely got crazy.”

Steve gave him one of those smiles that made him a fool. “Please, Tony. And forget the whiskey for me.”

“If this is the only way to see you again, I am not doing. Arrest me if you want, Sheriff.”

“Just go. I want you safe in your house.”

“For the record, I am a grown man.”

“The best I know, but you must go anyway.”

“Even like a ghost, you are a pain in the ass, Steve.”

“Now, Tony.”

He was being a coward, thought the blacksmith once on his horse and riding back to Timely. The night fell when he arrived, little stars shining, and a freezing air come with it. But the town was busy, in front of Danvers’s office was the stagecoach of the Pony Express surrounded by a lot of people with torches and oil lamps, whispering or pointing at the horses. One of them was lying on the ground, dying with nothing to do. His sides were wide open. Tony dismounted near of the commotion, searching for Nat who was there, next to Carol and Red Wolf. The man was kneeled in front of the poor animal, chanting a goodbye song before jab the horse’s neck and help it to die in peace. The driver was trembling, saying something about wolves, or giant dogs chasing the stagecoach and attacking the horse without any bullet could harm them. Nobody believed the story but also no one said a word, the stagecoach showed signs of claws everywhere, another horse was wounded.

“Sir! Sir!” one of Richard’s boy pull down Stark’s coat “Have you ever seen my cat, Mr. Stark?”

“Not now, kid, this is serious. Go with your mother.”

“But my cat! His name is Blackie and he is a good cat, Sir!”

“Sshh. You should be in bed by now, young man.”

“But…”

He left the boy, walking with the other tree to help the passengers and the driver to calm down. The sun showed up in Timely by the hour when Tony returned at last to his home. He looked to his bedroom, the empty frame and remember the old photography, so he decided to put everything in order and find it, but he stepped with old notes about his metallic coffin and decided to do some little adjustments, maybe an updated version of it. If there were savage wolves around the valley, he will need that in the future. Once again, he forgot the picture, sleep or eats something better than the old bread in the kitchen, he almost runs to his workshop and hides there for the rest of the day.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 _December_.

 

The wolves didn’t attack again since the stagecoach incident, and with Christmas coming, almost all the people in Timely forgot them. And the last time that Tony saw Steve in the crossroad was in the night because he took a watch with Red Wolf close to Roxxon Silver Mines, who was more interested in the bounty hunters that in wolves searching for food. Red Wolf rode far away and put a firelight on a hill, whistling Heavens knows how to hear him perfectly in the distance, so the brunette just stay there, hat on his head, heavy coat protecting him from the cold and a few tricks hidden under his sleeve in case of any violent surprise. Laying against a desert rock, the blacksmith waited patiently until his ears reached a sound, a clacking one very well know. Spurs hitting the soil. He opened his eyes and searched for the noise coming from the crossroad.

A black silhouette was there, and Stark knew who was. Red Wolf whistled, everything was ok on his side and the brunette pulls up his oil lamp to confirm the same, before standing with hurry and running with the most possible furtiveness. Was he drunk at this darker hour? Just a little, say to himself but not so lost to forget or miss something, this time he will ask at his haunting ghost what was all about and why he always showed up in the crossroad. Tony trembled a little, too much cold even if it was December. Steve was there again, with his smile and waiting for him. The same hair, the same clothes, the same face… if the whiskey was responsible for his hallucination, he is going to congratulate at his creator because the vision deserved the first prize in the name of the crazy things on this lost valley.

“What now? I don’t have any bottle with me” he retorted instead of a greeting.

“You are doing well, Tony. I am proud of you.”

“This is a goodbye, isn’t it?”

“Depends.”

“Of what? I am a little tired of talk with a ghost without asking myself why I didn’t bother. I am not Hamlet of Denmark.”

“But you wanted me alive.”

“… “ Tony frowned, looking over his shoulder. Red Wolf was going to whistle again, and he needs to be in his spot “Okay, it’s true but the fact is that you are dead, and I am missing you, that’s why I drink again and talk to you in his shitting place at midnight.”

“Then you can do something for me.”

“Kill the king and revenge your memory?”

“Take my hand and put me in the hole where you buried our photograph because you were so hurt then you couldn’t bear see it.”

In other circumstances, the blacksmith could respond very different, but this time he only nods and take so sure the offering hand and shiver when a black swirl enveloped him, leaving dirty dust with the smell of something rotten. Maybe, Steve, The Ghost was talking true words, his missing picture was there along with another thing that he couldn’t figure it out, he was acting so strange and crazy. Stark kneeled and buried the soil in hurry, he couldn’t see a damn thing, too dark. The wind hit with force, forcing the brunette to stand up and run back to the rocks where he was hidden before just in time when Red Wolf whistled like an owl and he raises his oil lamp, shivering. Nothing else happened the rest of his watch and Anthony went back home, tired and blaming himself for being so stupid. Who in Timely can talk and discuss with a hallucination? Nobody.

“You were unusually quiet, my good blacksmith” Red Wolf words brought him back to his reality.

“I was thinking.”

“About what?”

“Do you think that putting a Christmas wreath in front of my workshop would be too much for my tastes?”

“That is not what you were thinking, you seem so far away from the living ones.”

“How you can be sure?”

“Your face has the same color of the Pale Moon.”

“Is so cold, why don’t you feel it?”

“Strange is the word that describes you now, Stark, I would like to suggest you a long nap and a good breakfast in the morning. I can ask Mrs. Barnes to cook for you.”

“What a gentleman, Red Wolf, are you sure that you are a Cheyenne?”

“Very sure. Are you sure that you are not sick?”

“We have a draw here, ladies and gentleman” the brunette yawned “I am afraid that your advice comes with a spell over me.”

Red Wolf half closed his eyes but remained silent. “Good night, Stark.”

“Good night, Wolfie.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**_The Purgatory_ **

 

A giant fist fell on the solid ground, making long fissures on it attached with grunts from the huge monster of dark green skin and twisted horns on his forehead. His very long and heavy tail lashed the air before the attack the blonde who jumped and hit the demon with all his will focused on the only part of his body that was vulnerable, the chest. Two human fists connected roughly with this tender flesh and made growl the beast, which trashed his claws in an attempt to make the human fall and crack his skull for once, but the blonde was too clever and broke one of his horns. Between the two attacks, the demons lost his energy and wobble before hit the ground with the public clapping at the little but brave human soul that was their loved gladiator of this season. This figure walked out from the arena and sat under a huge stone arch, giving thanks for the water that a dwarf offered.

“That was very fast” A voice made the blonde turn and see another human soul.

“Buck.”

“You are enjoying this.”

“Not really. I thought something else about the other life.”

“Me too. Do you want to go to the second arena?”

“You have something to show me, right?”

“Come on, the fight is going to start.”

Steve left the water, more used to drink for habit than true thirst. Bucky led him across the multiple corridors underground sneaking all the arenas where the demons loved to fight day and night. If an innocent soul got caught with down guard, any demon could eat it and never saw a ray of light again. A law in the Purgatory that Rogers learned very soon as he woke suddenly without no explanation of why o or who sent him there. One of the dwarfs told the blonde about another “clean” human soul fighting like no tomorrow in the arenas, James Barnes. Be dead was a thing, certainly, but must watch your own back all the time has started to exasperate Steve. Bucky, otherwise, seems has an enjoyable time in Purgatory, probably because the former Sheriff always loves the fights in his life back there in Timely. Natasha confirmed that.

“Another monster fight, Buck?”

“Yes and no, you have to be there to understand, Steven, don’t get impatient. The Pony Express doesn’t come here, you know?”

“Hilarious.”

They arrived at one of the biggest arenas in Purgatory, where high ranked demons fought. After looked for sits in the noisy crown, the two men watched in silence the combat between a turtle monster and a small tiny demon, his form was more like a salamander. Steve still didn’t know all the souls trapped in that confused place and turn at his left to ask Bucky, but he only pointed at the fight with his chin, around them other creatures shouted in joy. The salamander demon jumped high and landed on the other’s head, sinking long and fine claws, destroying the skull of the poor turtle which screams in agony, tumbling with a heavy thud. The audience got crazy, clapping, growling, howling the name of the salamander demon: Levia. Bucky raised a finger to point at Levia, whispering to his close friend.

“Dwarves told me that Levia has a key to open a portal outside the Purgatory.”

“A portal to where, Bucky?” The blonde arched an eyebrow.

“I don’t know” Bucky shrugged “Maybe Heaven, Hell. Worth the fight, don’t you think?”

“We have to fight with Levia to gain the key to God knows where?”

“Exactly. Or do you prefer to pass all the Eternity trapped here?”

“This arena presents the most powerful demons in Purgatory, how are going to defeat Levia?”

“Well…” James smiled confidently “She has never seen a human soul and maybe the rumors have reason about being weak against the humans.”

“Is a she?”

“You know? There is no revenge so cruel that a woman full of hate. Or in this case, a demoness.”

“You are crazy.”

“I want to get out here, Steven, maybe I am not a perfect man or a pure one, but I feel like I lived thousands of years trapped here. I want to be free.”

“Same to me.”

“So?”

Levia shook her body from the dark blood of the turtle demon and run in the same way as the snakes on the ground, followed by other demons and dwarves. The risk was too much, but Steve hid an inner thought that force him to decide. If they stayed a little longer, their souls will start to change to a demon form, or disappear forever when a powerful demon eat them in combat. The blonde needed to know what was happening in Timely because his heart beat with anguish and pain. Something was wrong in his loved town and he was willing to try a fight with that Levia and win the chance to look even a few seconds over Timely and be sure that some brunette was safe. Was the same for James Barnes, who crossed his arms, waiting for the answer.

“Well?”

“Okay, let´s do it. Do you can arrange the fight?”

“Spare me a moment, milord, and the world will belong to you.”

Rogers pushed his friend by a shoulder. “Thanks for helping me, Buck.”

“Don’t get too sensitive, Stevie, maybe you could regret it.”

“No more than being dead.”

“At least you accepted it.”

“Because you repeated to me every chance you got.”

“My poor heart.”

“We are only souls, you moron, we don’t have a heart.”

“But we feel it, can’t we?”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**_Timely_ **

_December._

 

He promised, yes.

But it was so hard.

 

Anthony laughed with the empty bottle of whiskey in his left hand, lying on the couch singing that fucking song to one. His workshop was in darkness and in silence. A metal human figure stood beside a table, tools were scattered on the floor, some dirty with oil. The blacksmith sang with tremble voice, he didn’t want to hear the Christmas carol that some young were practicing close to his workshop. Hurt him the thought of being alone without Steve. The first Christmas missing the handsome Sheriff chasing him because he was drinking again, the first December without an invitation to dinner in his table, talking and laughing, tasting a turkey. His precious ghost disappeared, he rode to the crossroad expecting to see his hallucination, but nothing happened in all the days that he went. Now the month was in its middle term and he was so alone.

“ANTHONY EDWARD STARK!”

“Damm Natasha…”

“COME OUT RIGHT NOW!”

He obeyed because the brunette didn’t want his workshop being attacked by those woman hands, moving everything and cleaning when he never asked for it. Stumbling in the door, Tony saluted with a hiccup that made Mrs. Barnes frown in consternation.

“Nat…”

“Goddammit, Tony, this is not the time.”

“Sing… hic… with me…!”

“Carol sent me for you, we have an emergency.”

Before he could say anything, the strong hand of Natasha reached for him, pulling the drunk blacksmith completely outside and walking like a deer newborn with her straight to the Court House. A man was screaming, Stark laughed thinking was Red Wolf for no reason but soon he shut his mouth, blinking at the words that the poor man was shouting with fear. Something about a Dark Rider, a man in dark blue clothes and golden gloves, threatening to kill everybody if they crossed in his path. Many of the farmers already saw him, calling him The Nomad because the strange rider seemed to go from one place to another, like if he was looking for something. The last time men witnessed him was in train tracks next to the river.

“HE IS COMING HERE! I TOLD YOU! HE IS COMING!”

“Mr. Lee please calm down! You are scaring everybody!” Growls Carol.

“IT’S A RESTLESS SOUL WALKING IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING! LUCIFER BROUGHT HIM!”

“Christmas is… hic… supposed to be a holy season, isn’t it?” Tony made his way among the people “So, there is no… hic… a dead man riding in… hic… Timely, maybe was one of them… how do you call them, Wolfie?”

“You are drunk again, Anthony.” Replied Red Wolf.

“BUT I TOLD YOU ALREADY! WE SHOOT HIM, AND HE DIDN’T DIE!”

“Now… hic… maybe I am drunk but… hic... I am not a fool, ladies, and gentlemen… hic… a few kids…”

“Please, somebody shut up the blacksmith.”

“Mrs. Reed, I am…”

“Besides the witness of the train tracks and the farmers, someone else saw the stranger?” Asked Carol.

“We saw him” Spoke Ben’s widow, hugging his nephew Peter “In the crossroad.”

“That…”

Screams win over the next Stark’s words, a shadow appeared on the principal road, a Dark Rider with golden gloves. Almost all the people on Timely run for their lives, shutting their doors and windows, calling the children and the old ones. Only a few brave citizens stood right in their spots and watched the rider come closer. Carol Danvers and Red Wolf took their guns and pointed at the mysterious man, Natasha followed them as Tony felt the alcohol left his body. Those blue eyes behind the mask and the kerchief covering the rider’s face were very well known to confused them with anyone else. Two men appeared from the corners and raised their rifles to the strange man, a clicking sound telling him not to go forward anymore.

“Get down!” Shouted the blacksmith, making everybody wince.

That shout saved two lives because The Nomad takes out his guns and fired, one gun in each hand in the same manners that Stark felt so familiar. Red Wolf gave signs to the other shooters to stay back while Carol with his two guns high, walked very slowly to the rider who stopped in front of the Veteran’s Hall. The Nomad narrowed his eyes when he saw the golden star in Danvers’s chest. Tony didn’t think at all when he runs in front of the rider at the same time this man pointed at the woman. Red Wolf tackle Danvers and Natasha did the same with the brunette. Nobody died but two holes were made in a wooden door. A heavy silence dropped in the town, breaths contained as The Nomad looked for his prey.

“Tony! Wait! What are you doing? Tony!”

He didn’t listen, walking fast to the black horse and raised high his arms.

“Steve! Listen to me! I am Anthony! Don’t you remember me?”

Natasha gasped, almost dropping his gun and knife, looking at The Nomad who stay quiet but with both guns pointed at the blacksmith. Carol and Red Wolf exchange a sign and started to move very carefully, while the redhead woman does the same but calling in whispers to his crazy friend. Neither of the three believed that the Dark Rider was Steven Rogers. No way. This man was something else because even in the distance they could feel the coldness and the fear surrounded him like a halo. The former Sheriff always has been bright and warm with his people. The shooters far away were so confused, without know if they should fire or hide. Stark walked two steps more ahead, his eyes fixed on the cold blue ones.

“Steve… it’s me, Tony.”

Two guns clicked again. Natasha, Carol, and Red Wolf hold their breaths.

“Steve… it’s me, Tony. Don’t you remember me, uh?”

The Nomad remains quiet as his black horse. Tony smiled just a little before he started to sing.

 

_Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling_   
_From glen to glen, and down the mountain side._   
_The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,_   
_It's you, it's you must go and I must bide._

_But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,_  
 _Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,_  
 _It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,_  
_Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I… !_

 

Anthony gulped, the gun was touching his forehead but still, he raised his hands to calm down everybody. The Nomad was Steve. His Steve. And the Heavens knows that he trusted enough on him. After a couple of minutes, the stranger rider dropped the gun and kept the gun in its holster. Red Wolf watched the whole scene with a new expression. Tony smiled and took the hand now free to shake it.

“Welcome back home, Sheriff.”

“I am not a Sheriff anymore.”

The voice made everybody tremble, indeed was Roger’s voice but deeper and with a strange echo. He took his hat and delivered to the blacksmith who smiled wider, giving him space to dismount and lower his kerchief, showing Steve face, perfectly normal except it didn’t have any emotion, was more like a statue. No one of the witnesses could believe it, speechless and freezer in their places. Steve Rogers was alive and back in Timely just in time to celebrate Christmas! Maybe two or three men started to feel relieved when Red Wolf pushed Stark and pointed his gun at the blond man’s face in a flash.

“What are you?”

“Red Wolf!” Screamed the blacksmith in the ground, very offended.

“You are not a human, I can feel it.”

“Wolfie! For the Savage Mountains, drop the gun now!”

“If you feel that kill me is the correct action, do it. I don’t care.” Replied Steve expressionless.

“Red Wolf!” This time was Natasha who called him “Stop!”

Between Carol and Natasha pulled away from Red Wolf who didn’t stop looking at Rogers while Tony hauled him with this horse striding until both reached Stark’s house. Timely was not going to sleep that night. Steve’s return will be the comment for the next months unless something better happened, or the town disappeared for no reason at all. The brunette closed windows and doors because he needed space to clear his mind while the blond was looking around in that damn face without a single emotion. Maybe some kind of sorcerer tricked him, but Stark was happy, and he drinks from the bottle of his whiskey to gain courage and talk again, only that he noticed something strange this time, an emptiness… because Steve was looking his drink and a single word against it never was said.

“Steve?”

“What?”

“… nothing. Are you hungry or something?”

For the answer, the former Sheriff only turn around and sit like a doll in a corner of the small living room that Stark had, his hands rest on the armchair like a king watching his kingdom. That was the brunette’s impression before a walk to him and take a chair to sit in front of this man. He never believed Red Wolf words about Roger’s behavior when he barely came back from the death! Just a little time, told Tony to himself, just a little more and Timely will recover his precious son.

“Do you remember something?”

“A few things, nothing really important.”

“Well, at least you remember your own name” Smiled the blacksmith.

“And people watching me die like a pig.”

Tony tensed, his smiled faded away. “You are alive now, Steve. Do you know… if it is… permanent?”

“Someone is knocking in the main door.”

He wasn’t lying, Mr. Richard was there, calling him with a worried voice. The brunette took a deep breath and stood up to answer. A long trip was waiting for him, but he was ready to fight and recover his old friend and gave him back the opportunity that Fisk stolen from him. Even if he must bury himself in the crossroad to achieve it.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**_Purgatory_ **

 

Fight against Levia was something, the two men almost lost their precious souls in the middle. Levia was everything except a naïve demon, she was very aware of their “condition” as humans, in the fight, the monster took all the precautionary measures to avoid any damage from them, including tricks and cheating spells to repel their fists and weapons. Steve truly believed that both will be dead by the end, but again, Bucky showed his talent using a strange dagger to stick it in her nape, where her scales were softer but with the risk of being decapitated in the process. Using an extraordinary movement, his friend cut Levia and she screamed in pain, trashing scratches and bites until she accepted her defeat, raising a long claw in the air. The public witnessing the fight was speechless with amazement, looking at the humans and Levia in turns as if this could have explained to them what in the hell just happened.

“We won!” James shouted with a bright smile.

“Seems so.”

“Come on, Steven.”

He watched Levia crawl wounded, leaving a dark path of her blood in her escape, with venomous eyes to them, a promise of revenge.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“First our prize, don’t you remember?”

“Levia is…”

“She will not run away, we can catch her in her nest. Follow me.”

“I am very thankful for your knowledge of this place, Buck.”

“As I said before, being here feels like thousands of years to me.”

Bucky wasn’t lying about Levia, the demon was expecting them in her nest, a high and hot cave several meters under the ground. She recovered easy because Levia was one of the three most powerful demons in Purgatory, but she was pissed for the past lost fight and her temper was unstable. The dwarves healing her wounds run fast when she spat her venom in the hot rock where Levia was resting, they left Steve and Bucky alone with the demoness, who looked them hissing.

“We won, Levia and the deal was the deal.” Spoke Barnes with confidence, despite the fangs threating him.

“And why I should obey two low humans?”

“Because we won, and you promised by the power that rules Purgatory that you will give us the key.”

“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” Levia smiled.

“Then I will use my dagger again.”

Steve got confused with the little talk, but he allowed to his friend to do all the job. Levia hissed again but for the blonde surprise, she opened his chest in the middle, taking out a dark but shining object that thrown at them in despite.

“Anyway, you will never open the gate.”

“Let´s try first, okay?” Bucky walked a few steps and took the key, in his hands seemed bigger.

Levia narrowed her eyes but then she turned around to give them her long back. James shook his head and left, whistling something in his walk. Rogers did the same when the voice of the monster stopped him in his tracks.

“You are a good soul, don’t trust so much in your friend.”

“Why I shouldn’t do it?”

“He knows too much for a single human soul, if I can tell you, he looks more a demon than a human to me.”

“And everybody knows that you are a perfect liar, Levia. Thanks for your advice.”

“Fool.”

Steve was very aware of the help that his friend offered him since the first moment they met, his unconditional loyalty and trust between battles and long days eating God knows what and sleeping only to forget that they didn’t need it. He never questioned how Bucky get their food or the rivals in the arena, he always supposed that his friend, living more time than him in the Purgatory got the knowledge of how to move like that. And he will continue thinking the same because if something learned from Tony was to have faith in his people even in the worst moments. Escape from that horrible place was a goal for Steve and surely for Bucky. Go back to Timely could be a dream but after the bloody battle against Levia, all were worthy.

So, the blonde followed Barnes among the corridors and labyrinths that was Purgatory, mountains of caves and nest, halls made of rock full of demons chanting while they were devouring souls of the losers, streets fight between dwarves or rivers of dark blood. The road was exhausting in that way, but they continued walking. Steve looked the key, as normal key except that his handle was made of something magic that glows, so his friend covered it with a coat found in a corner. No one followed them, they continued until to reach a downstairs to nowhere. Steve stopped, watching carefully the yellow steps, old and fragile to the view which seemed to go very deep. James turn to him when he didn’t listen to him anymore, arching a brow.

“Is something wrong, Stevie?”

“Too dark.”

“Yes, because the portal was deep and hidden.”

“Who tells you this, Buck?”

“If you got drunk a dwarf, he can tell you secrets, some of them are useless, another… well, you are looking one of the abandoned paths which by the way, is the road to another world.”

“And why is so…?”

“Easy, because the demons feared these stairs, look at the symbols, Steven, they are crafted to repel evil forces. I heard something, but it’s a rumor, that these steps were made by angels.”

“Amazing.”

“And we are late for our escape. Come on, my friend, I promised you this is safe. No demon will hunt us while we are descending.”

Bucky smiled, and Steve nodded, he should trust him. He should. For Tony, for his friends and for himself too. Taking the left hand with a curious spider tattooed on his wrist, he started to go down in that long and giant stairs, praying to find their way out. Steve was tired of the Purgatory.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**_Timely_ **

 

The next days were something for Tony, working in Steve behavior and running after him almost like a puppy. His friend was more distant and maybe cold, sometimes forgetting to say good morning to the people on his walk or even eat properly. Aunt May, Ben Parker’s widow, gave him tasteful food and warm mantles because December was very cold that year. The blacksmith wasted many hours of the day talking with Steve, watching him not to do something that he could regret after. Several times he woke up suddenly, looking at the blonde in front of his bed with his eyes fixed on him. Tony asked Steve what was wrong, but the blonde only turns and left his bedroom. If he asked afterward about the incident, Stark only got grunts and an uncomfortable stare, making him forget it for the good of his busy mind.

Savage wolves appeared again, this time killing Barton’s lambs and goats. Some of the citizens began to think in a numerous pack passing by the valley but the attacks were all the same. If Bruce Banner was still alive, he could read better than Tony the marks on the dead bodies. Three wolves were responsible for the attacks for the brunette when he could look on the animals that Barton brought to the Court House one morning. Three wolves, no more, so that wasn’t a pack. But again, Stark was not an expert like his lost friend and Natasha was the only who confirm his suspects about the wolves and its demeanor, being an expert in knives and cuts has its advantages. Maybe Steve could say something, but he just didn’t care. His only emotional reaction was in the presence of Red Wolf who returned the feelings against Danvers orders.

Days passed, and Christmas Evening’s was around the corner, so everybody worked in their houses and trying to protect their cattle or horses. The Pony Express stopped to arrive at Timely because the attacks grew and were too much risk to travel all along Doom’s valley only to deliver letters and other things “not very valuable”. Because Red Wolf and Steve fought every time that they met in the day, Carol ordered the Cheyenne to hunt the wolves and bring her a report. Parker’s Farm was the last victim and the tracks were still fresh. The blacksmith decided to finish his new armor model while Natasha took care of Rogers, who only wasted his days staring at the people in Timely or searching for something in Savage Mountains direction.

The sun was still high in the sky when Red Wolf appeared with Peter Parker, both with their rifles in hand and shouting about the strange wolves. Stark heard them in his workshop, also a couple of shooters said the same, the animals were… invisible but when they attacked a cow or a pig, for example, and the animals were slaughtered until dead. Now the invisible beasts were coming to downtown, following the riders and Parker’s tumbril with Peter and his Aunt May, both wounded because of these supernatural animals. The people gathered around them once they stopped in front of Stark workshop, calling for help while Carol and his team tried to remain in calm hearing the report. More wagons arrived, with more people scary because “invisible monsters” were following them from their homes and farms. She ordered everybody to a refugee in the Veteran’s Hall before the panic raised confusion and Timely goes crazy.

Tony came out from his workshop, frowning and searching for his friends. He spotted Steve in Court House, boring as usual below the frame door. The blacksmith winced at the sound of the train not so far from all of them, the reason was the unusual whistle of the machine. Something was wrong. Natasha, Carol, Red Wolf, Murdock, Richards, and others also noticed this, some of the riders went to the train station to find out what was happening while the people started to run straight to the Veteran’s Hall where Rogers was opening the doors. The very first gesture that Tony could witness on him since his return, smiling pleased before left his workshop and help the other to go to the shelter, waiting for the riders and the train news.

“EVERYBODY HIDES, NOW NOW NOW!!” Shouted one of the riders in the distance “NOOOW!!”

As if the sky could agree, suddenly it changed into a dark red one. Clouds twisted and roared with thunders. The rest of the riders brought with them the survivors of the train, seriously injured and whispering something about invisible wolves attacking the train. Stark felt a cold shiver in his back. There is no way that three suspects wolves could do all of this at the same time. They were facing a huge pack of… whatever they were. Low growls made everybody felt terror, looking around without seeing anything but hearing the muffled sound of some legs running on the dry ground. One of the workers in Rand Inc fell with a heavy thud and his back opened like a window with blood splattering the people next to him, they knew that the supernatural monsters were with them.

“NOW, RUN! WITH ME!” Carol shouted, pale as the Moon.

Nobody disobeyed her, even Tony run straight to the Veteran’s Hall, with the muffled sound of paws behind him and growls louder when he reached the doors and jumped inside. A small number of women and men were slaughtered in the run, making the rest scream in terror, leaving their belongings behind and try to survive the hunt. An old woman shouted in the crowd gathered inside the Hall. Tony heard her, calling his nephew.

“My Peter! He is not here! Peter! Peter!”

Before Natasha could stop him, he went out, shutting the doors after. Steve was inside, so no need to worry for the blacksmith, who ran to the kid hidden between barrels and chairs of Jones&Asoc House. The growls were everywhere around him, even he felt the cold breath when he stumbled a little before catching the figure of Peter, trembling and with a deep cut on his forehead. Bullets were fired from a distance, trying to scare away the beasts. Stark took the opportunity to go with the kid and hugged him.

“It’s okay. We will make it.”

“Hurts!”

“It’s okay, Peter. Listen to me, we must run in a zig-zag line, okay? Never, but never stop running, I will go behind you. Don’t dare to look back.”

“I am too afraid, Mr. Stark.”

“Me too, kiddo, but we are two brave men, aren’t we?” Tony smiled to give the boy confidence, seeing dust in the air moving towards him.

“Okay! Time to go! Run in zig zag! Run! Run, Peter!”

A growl jumped over them, but Peter was fast to Stark relieve, who felt the air left his lungs, stumbling. Someone screamed and shouted but he didn’t listen, his legs refused to obey him this time and another growl came closer. Bullets passed close to the brunette, he looked over his shoulder. Peter reached the Veteran’s Hall, pulled inside by Red Wolf.

“I shouldn’t drink too much.”

The growls and dust tracks started to change direction into one and one only, straight to the blacksmith. No bullet hit in its target or could hurt any of the invisible monster surrounding an exhausted and pale Tony. Maybe he was hallucinating because right there he saw a figure far away, between the Casino and old Fisk’s office. A rider with a white face in black clothes, staring at him with no expression. And that was not all, shadows appeared, they belonged to the growls and the dust tracks. Some type of hounds, with ribs marked on their darker skin, long fangs and eyes shining like fireflies. They were at least two dozen of them, sniffling and walking slowly to their prey. Stark only breathed and hang down his head, in resignation.

“TOONY!” Screamed Carol.

The hounds jumped, and the brunette closed his eyes in defeat. Timely shivered while the growls transformed into howls and grunts of pain. A tall bright wall of fire appeared from nowhere, rumbling and burning the hellhounds. Tony opened his eyes to saw a fire bear protecting him. The clouds disappeared, leaving a quiet evening in the town. Natasha runs to the brunette after the fire vanished in the air, calling him with an eager voice. The fire bear stood up on his hind legs, changing in front of Tony and Natasha who reached him. A light enveloped the fire bear and a strange man appeared instead, his head crowned with feathers and bone necklaces, red skin with fierce brown eyes. He was wearing the same kind of clothes that Red Wolf and a heavy fur coat.

 “BIG GREY BEAR! FOR THE ANCIENT ONES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

“Seems like this man needs my help” Answer the shaman, smiling at Red Wolf.

“Do you know him?” Natasha was speechless.

“It’s a holy shaman between the Cheyenne Tribe, and as long you can see, he is powerful.”

“Not powerful enough, Red Wolf” Cleared Big Grey Bear, helping Tony to stand up “Those hellhounds will return soon, they wanted their prey and they will have it.”

“Am I the prey?” Asked the blacksmith, surprised.

“You smell like him, that is the reason for the hellhounds to chase you only, but you are not him.”

“Steve?” Whispered Nat.

The sky roared again but without dark red clouds. Big Grey Bear closed his eyes for a few seconds, looking at Stark after.

“I need to talk to you alone.”

“My workshop.”

“But…” The redhead woman tried to talk but Red Wolf stopped her, shaking his head.

“Watch Steve for me, okay, Nat?” Asked Tony with a smile “I will be with all of you soon.”

Big Grey Bear and Tony walked inside the workshop, Carol and other watching confused the scene. While Red Wolf explained to them about the shaman, the blacksmith almost runs to his bottle of whiskey to take a drink.

“Okay, now I am ready. I screwed up completely, right?”

“That toxic water is the cause of all our nightmares.”

“Tell me what I’ve done and how I can fix it.”

“You are not like the others white men, pointing someone else as the guilty of their sins. You even take what doesn’t belong to you as your crimes.”

“Speak, Big One.”

The shaman snatched the bottle from him, drinking as well. Tony laughed.

“A demon was awake because of the black hearts of white men in the past. Now he wanted to rule the human’s souls in Timely. If it succeeded, its power will grow, and all in the valley will perish, then another land, and in the end the world.”

“Tell me it’s my fault. I was the one who woke the demon.”

“Curious thing you try to get punished for something you did not” Big Grey Bear arched an eyebrow “The demon confused you and tricked you, that is the way how the demon works. Because your broken heart, this demon could read your thoughts and desires.”

Tony tensed, diverting his gaze. “I want Steve to be alive.”

“The demon is inside your friend.”

“What?” The brunette turned fast to the shaman.

“He tricked you to bring back the body of a good man killed by treason, but not his soul. The demon is using that mortal body to call the hellhounds and feed them with your people, making them lower demons which could obey him.”

“That son of bitch…”

“You already know what is happening with your friend. Even the demon thought that it will be easy control the body, it didn’t respond as the demon wished because a good soul always left its mark on its recipient.”

“I am going to fix that, tell me what to do, Big One.”

“First, allow me to finish my message. This demon, a crossroad demon is not working alone, but I can not tell who or what it is. And for my own disgrace, I can not be in two places at a time. The demon inside your friend’s body needs to be purified and pushed away, but at the same time, the ritual which brought the demon in this human world needs to be destroyed and your eyes are telling me that you know what I am talking about.”

“Yes” Tony breathed “Big One, I just need put everything in its place. Give me some help to destroy the ritual and you can stay here to save Steve’s body for me.”

The shaman looked around with a serious expression, he found the new armor in its corner and walked right to touch it. Stark was about to ask him what he was thinking when Big Grey Bear talked.

“Bring me fire.”

Shutting his mouth, Tony lighted his forge and made a good fire, put some of the red and bright hot coals on a shovel, offering it to the man singing in whispers something. Without a warning, the shaman broke the whiskey bottle and bathed the armor with the alcohol, he took the shovel and brought closer the fire, it exploded because the liquid and the metal was covered in flames for a couple of minutes. When the fire was gone, the blacksmith gasped when he saw his armor now in red and golden color.

“Your protection now has the Ancient One blessings, so you can go out from this town and do whatever you must do. I can give you that.”

“T-Thank you… I don’t…”

“Time is running out, blacksmith. The more time passes, the more the demon got strong inside. And the hellhounds will be here by the night.”

“What do you need to expulse that thing from Steve’s body?”

“I can arrange myself. You are more helpful if you fly now to the crossroad.”

“Look at me.”

A hand stopped the anxious brunette. “The Pale Rider is looking for another soul to take with him. Be sure that you are not his soul.”

Tony smiled without answer the shaman, undressed himself to enter in his armor while Big Grey Bear walked out and go straight to the Veteran’s Hall. The blacksmith missed his whiskey, but he didn’t have the time to drink a new bottle. Steve’s life was in danger, Timely was in danger and his drinking problems were the root of all, so he decided for this time, forget his thirst and used instead of his courage and fear to battle against this whatever demon was. The new armor was lighter and handler, with the fuel tank full at the top, Tony walked slowly, testing his invention. Carol was running to him with anguished expression and he smiled her before covered his face with the metal mask.

“Don’t say anything, Carol. I already made my mind.”

“Please, Tony, you can’t do it alone. Let me…”

“No, Timely needs you. The hellhounds will attack again, listen to Big One, he knows more about those monsters than anyone here.”

“You can’t…”

“I am a drunk man; a drunk man makes stupid decisions.”

“Tony.”

“Please, take care of Steve, please? I will go back before you can shout my name again.”

She made a sad expression, the blacksmith winked at her, disguising his own fears. The armor roared when he turned it on, floating a few meters above the wooden floor. Carol wished to say something, but the grunts of the machine drowned his words. Tony flew fast as he could, leaving downtown and passing the farms and the fields. Roxxon Silver Mines appeared on the horizon, as well the white tree of the crossroad. Suddenly, something hit the armor, almost tackling the brunette inside his metal protection but a soft howl of pain was heard and he could stabilize his fly. He couldn’t see what attacked him because of the shellhead, only to listen the distant sound of growls and hits on the ground. Hellhounds already coming back and surely more furious by the earlier defeat.

Stark looked at the Savage Mountains from where Big Grey Bear surely came down to save their asses for who knows what reason. The high peaks and the dark rock of the mountains witnessed how the blacksmith landed in front of the infamous stone, leaving his armor and walk to the mark where a fresh hole was made. Freezing air shook Stark, but not his determination. He took one of the fallen sticks of the white tree and dig like this, first, until he got anxious and used his hands to reveal his sin. A gasp escaped from Tony’s lips when he saw his old photograph, Steve and he, hugging and smiling in front of his workshop, but also was a stinky soil and a dry leg from a black cat. Memories came to him like a hammer nailing his feelings and thoughts when he started to remember lost things: when the frame dropped and clashed on the floor without explanation when Richards’ boy asked him for his cat or the cold hand of Steve giving him that soil…

“For the dead body of my parents…”

Tricked, mocked by a crossroad demon, the son of…

“I am going to fix this whatever it takes.”

When Tony turned to his armor, he froze. A man with white skin and black eyes in dark clothes and hat on a black horse was staring at him with curiosity. The Pale Rider.

“Did you come here to take me with you?” Dare to ask, raising his chin “I had some unwelcome news for you, Pale Rider.”

“You call the Death, but you do not really wish sleep forever.” The voice with an echo of the Pale Rider shocked the blacksmith.

“I have some business to do, now if you are going to do something in the next hours, please do it already.”

“Yes, I have to do my duty, a soul must go but since I came here, a demon stolen from my sight.”

“Steve Rogers?” Stark asked with tremble voice.

“Is a man with a golden star in his chest.”

“Please” The other came closer, begging “Take me instead of him.”

“As I said, this soul must go with me to his final rest, a man who is perfectly dead. You seemed one, but you are pretty alive.”

“But, if the shaman can bring Steve from the dead…”

“I came here for a soul, mortal, and a soul I will take.”

“Take me. A soul will be a soul, right?”

The Pale Rider cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, his black horse whined as it knew what his owner was thinking.

“A willing soul… that is something unusual but acceptable.”

“¿Do we have a deal?”

“The next time you will see me, I will fetch my soul.”

“Thank you.”

“It is not a gift, human.”

“Whatever.”

Stark felt back the blood which left his face, breathing slowly while the Pale Rider turned his horse and gave a few steps, stopping.

“Mortal” He called without a move “Even if you destroy the summoning of the crossroad demon, the hellhounds still will be hunting their prey, you need a sacred weapon. You already had one, just remember where did you keep it.”

The Pale Rider left behind a stunned man who didn’t remember such a thing like a sacred weapon, he thought more in some type of knife or sword from Big Grey Bear than himself. When in the name of the forces of nature he received something like that? Tony shook his head and run to his armor, he was wasting precious time. Once he turned on the armor, he pointed with a gauntlet to the hole, without shoot because he remembered the picture, his precious photograph. The brunette closed his eyes and breath, shooting fire and burning everything, his cheeks felt wet, but he didn’t do anything, only jumped and flew back to Timely. A dark night was covering the sky and all around was silent, deeply silent. Fearing the worst, Stark use all the power in his new flying armor to get back as soon as possible, trying to remember when and where he kept a weapon to kill supernatural dogs that only certain people could see.

“I only have a gift from…”

He tensed. Before the Civil War, when he delivered the machines that brought the victory to The Union, a general gave him a present. A Colt. He was so busy trying to seduce the daughter of a politician to listen patiently what the general told him about the Colt. Tony didn’t take enough attention and put the damn pistol inside a chest. Made of something… in whatever special place and crafted by an artisan who learns from some European guy… when he arrived at Timely, after the war, he kept the Colt hidden from any view under his workshop’s floor. He forgot the fucking Colt all this time! Stark grunted feeling his cheeks burned because of the shame and the anger. If he didn’t drink too much he could save Steve from the beginning and not right now with demons, hellhounds, and men with white skin riding black horses… and a shaman, of course.

“Earth eat me for being so stupid…” He grunted, watching the first building of downtown.

Suddenly, a growl made him fly on his side almost falling in the process, but bullets coming from Danvers’s men scared away for a few seconds the hellhounds that were attacking Timely as if they knew that his master was being exorcism by a shaman. Something that Tony noticed was the flames in windows and some doors with glasses, behind all them, were women and men shooting as if those glasses on fire could show them where and how the hellhounds looked. In the Veteran’s Hall, a column exploded from the ceiling which broke the dark sky with its first stars shimmering. A howl that the hellhounds responded with growls was heard between Carol’s shouts and Natasha calling him to cover. Red Wolf, the bastard, was fighting the hellhounds almost with his bared hands.

“Where is Steve?” Stark screamed with all the air in his lungs, landing in front of a wounded redhead woman.

“With your shaman!” Answered Natasha, shooting a couple of bullets “You owe me a good explanation of all this, Anthony Stark!”

“Let’s get rid of these animals first!”

Before Nat could claim anything, the blacksmith inside his armor attacked the infernal dogs with his fire blast and guns. That invention was amazing, faster and stronger thanks to the help of Big Grey Bear and his strange magic, which by the way attracted the hellhounds, leaving the people hidden in the buildings in peace, jumping instead on him and trying to open the metal with their long and sharp fangs. Natasha shouted something, but Stark couldn’t hear her, the howls and growls were noisier than his friend. Thunders and earthquake made Timely shivered. Everybody except the brunette looked at the Veteran’s Hall where a giant black cloud appeared over the building and fly away with the hellhounds roaring, a moment of distraction that Tony used to kill them, at least a respectable number of them. His armor shook because the fuel was running out.

The next thing all of them knew was a tornado falling from nowhere that lifted and twisted them with force. Stark was the only who remained on the ground and thanks again to Big Grey Bear which appeared in the door of Veteran’s Hall, walking so calm than the looked as if he was in a picnic instead of a bloody chaos in the middle of Timely. And he wasn’t alone. Stark stopped all movement when he saw Steve walking at his side, blinking and searching first, pointing at the tornado after. The brunette’s heart beaten so fast that he almost dies right there because those eyes and those lips were moving and acting as he remembered very well. The true Steven Rogers was alive, this time and Tony swore to himself that his friend will be alive even if he had to drown all the crossroad demons with his own hands. Big Grey Bear clapped with a howl and fire in bear form run towards the tornado, destroying it.

“Why in the name of your Ancestors you didn’t do it before?” He growled when the tornado disappeared, and his friends and others were released like a sack.

“Because I was healing the injured people and expelling the demon inside this man” Big Grey Bear turned at Steve and back to the blacksmith “This is not over yet, the companion of the crossroad demon is here.”

“Enlighted us, please.”

“Tony” Called the blonde and Stark felt so good that he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings.

“Tony! Steve!” Red Wolf shouted far away.

From the deep hole that the tornado left, a man came out. Natasha dropped his knives when she saw him, shocked and feeling the blood leaving her face.

“J-James?” She whispered in a trembling voice.

James Barnes was alive or at least that seemed, except for a detail: his left arm was covered in something full of spikes and darker. His eyes were paler than before. Tony didn’t need more proof to move and attacked him as well Big Grey Bear and Red Wolf with Carol reaching them. Natasha tried to stop them, but the lawyer Murdock hugged her for behind and pulled far away from the fight. That left arm transformed into long spider legs and tried to get through the others while a redhead woman shouted and punch Murdock to get free. With such distraction, the hellhounds recovered and went back to the stunned people. Stark remembered the Colt and run to Steve before punched one of them and avoid a sharp black spider leg.

“Go to my workshop! Below the table and under the wooden floor tiles! There is a small chest with a gun inside! Bring it with you and shoot them all! I will protect you!”

Red Wolf tackled Barnes, but he received a cut from a dagger. In his right hand, James holds the same weapon that Steve once he saw in Purgatory, the same that hurt Levia and the same which in his mysterious and very dangerous return from the realm of the dead, tried to cut his heart. Natasha reached his lost lover, with teary eyes when she witnessed how cold and murderer was his husband. That wasn’t the man she married. Big Grey Bear push him to fell backward, whispering sacred words to expulse the demon who howls and stood up to kill the shaman. Natasha punched him in his ribcage and took his right hand and leg to tackle him, almost crying. A hellhound, now invisible because the tornado broke all the windows and glass doors, bite her, sinking its fangs on her back.

“James stop it!” She cried.

Tony didn’t have more fire to shoot at them, he could see the hellhounds. A bullet got through the monster over Nat and kill it. Rogers started to disappear them, one by one as Red Wolf and the shaman hold Bucky, continuing the ritual. Only remained three hellhounds when the demon revealed itself, howling with his eight long black legs coming out from the man’s back.

“I know you, Wihio!” Big Grey Bear exclaimed, “Trickster and murder, your liars finish right now in the name of my Holy Ancestors!”

“Try it, shaman and the soul I have already bite it will perish with me!” Laughed the demon “Do it! Kill me with this innocent man!”

“No! James!” Natasha looked at Red Wolf, despaired.

“I got no more bullets!” Steve shouted to Tony who notices the lack of fuel on his armor as well.

Then, he heard a whinny and the clap sound of four horse legs. Raising his head, he watched at the Pale Rider appeared in the same spot where he saw him the first time, between the Casino and Fisk’s office. Tony wanted to scream because he understood what it meant. Three hellhounds reunited and walked slowly to the group. He looked at Steve, Natasha, Carol, Red Wolf, Big Grey Bear… thinking furiously what he should do to save everybody. He had forgotten the bravery and decision of his redhead friend. Natasha stole the dagger from the demon’s hand and sunk it on his heart, hauling with pain. Big Grey Bear used his sacred fire, enveloping the man with his fire. The demon growls and jumped out the body which tore apart when took a left arm and disappeared, leaving only a bright confused soul.

“Nat?”

She cried, falling on her knees. The spider demon runs away as his other companion. James stood up if a could do that, watching everybody and the town before looked down his hand. He was vanishing. Steve gasped, Carol as well, frozen in their places. Tony cursed, wishing the Pale Rider changed his opinion.

“James…”

“Darling…” Bucky smiled at her, trying to reach her “Please, don’t be sad… we will be together… maybe in another life.”

“James” Natasha raised her hand, but Barnes fade away with a breeze “Nooooo!”

“Watch out!”

Someone shouted that the hellhounds run straight to them. The blacksmith closed his eyes and made out his mind. Opening the armor, he jumped almost crashing against Steve, who frowns. Big Grey Bear narrowed his eyes.

“Tony, what are you…?”

He took the dagger from the ground, starting to sing.

_Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy…_

Without a warning, he pulled inside his armor at the former Sheriff, closing it after.

_I love you so!_

Tony run to the hellhounds with the dagger in his hand. When the rest tried to do something, the shaman put a wall fire between the monsters and the others, protecting them. Steve opened his eyes, with the realization of what Stark was doing. He pushed the armor but without its fuel to work, nothing happened.

“NO! TONY NO! TONY STOP IT! TOOONYYY! NOOOO! NOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOO!”

“We have to help him!” Roared Carol to Big Grey Bear.

“No, we have to wait. This battle only belongs to the man who always called the Death.”

“You can’t do this!” Natasha shouted, still in the ground “Those monsters are too much for him!”

“Hellhounds are too much for any mortal creature.”

“SHAMAN!” This time, was Steve calling him “SOMEBODY! HELP ME TO GET OUT OF HERE! TOOONYY! TONY! NOOOOOO!”

The blacksmith felt the blood drained from his face at the sight of the three ferocious dogs that ran straight at him, their fangs stained with blood and their bright eyes begging for revenge for their exiled master. But this time, Tony did not have the fear that previously produced him. Now he felt an immense peace in his mind as his heart when he raised the dagger and fought against those monsters. His mind brought to him various memories, so different from the moment he was living. The first time he met Steve, when they fought in the Civil War, the words of encouragement that the Sheriff always told him with kindness. How the blonde cried in Barnes’s funeral. His smile when Stark started to sing their song… _their song_ … and even the worry in his manners every time the blacksmith was in danger. Steve’s eyes and voice. That damn hair shaking at the wind, the harmonic whistling to make him feel better.

A fang sank on his left shoulder, another in his right thigh. He cut in two from below a jaw, one less. Steve didn’t teach him how to fight like this, he also taught him to fight against his own inner demons because Steve really wanted to do it. He was important to Rogers, and this man was the reason to keep living for Tony. Another hellhound was killed, ripping its chest with the dagger. The third monster clawed at his chest, almost about to bite his neck and tear it away. The dagger did its last work, burying itself in the left eye of that hellhound, making it howl and disappear like a violet mist that rose in the air, vanishing at last. He fell on his knees, very tired but looking at the Pale Rider who comes closer on his horse.

“You can collect my soul” Stark gasped “I am ready”

“And your trouble mind makes you forget that I never said something about your soul. I came here for the soul of a man with a golden star on his chest… and he is already with me.”

Tony blinked, confused, and turned his head to see behind the black horse a ghost one, pale blue which was mounted by James Barnes himself, he seemed in peace and his ghostly blue soul showed a missing left arm. The Pale Rider watched the wounded man with a fainted smile.

“You will survive from those wounds but the one on your chest will leave a permanent mark.”

“Thanks… I suppose.”

“Is time for you to stop calling the Death when deep inside, you wanted to live.”

“I am wounded, can you be politer with me?”

“I will see you, blacksmith, in the distant future. Under the white tree at the crossroad.”

“And I will salute you like an old friend, Pale Rider… what are you going to do with Bucky?”

“He is safe now when Levia told me about a demon stealing my prize, I started to search for him but until your beloved friend died and resurrected from the Purgatory I finally found him. Now, he can go at the place that he deserves.”

“Please, take care of him, he’s the husband of a good friend of mine.”

“Until our next meeting, blacksmith. Live this time for real. Live as you wished.”

“Funny thing that someone like you talk about to live.”

“Because the Death knows better about the life than the mankind itself.”

“See you later…”

The Pale Rider nodded and turn back with the ghost rider following in quiet pace. Meanwhile, the firewall disappeared and Carol with the others ran to the almost unconscious man. The sky was dark and full of a star but without any demon or menace over Timely. Stark will wake up two days later when the magic of Big Grey Bear finally healed him as the others injured. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the blue eyes of Steve, watching him with that worry and kindness that he loved above all things. The Christmas Evening finally comes, and with the renewed spirits, everybody got busy cooking, decorating, laughing and talking about the last events as if it was some tale for children. Barton proposed to put tables all along the way to Court House to have a communal dinner and the rest agreed with him.

Between candles and the smell of roasted turkey, the citizen of Timely celebrated Christmas, chanting and exchanging gifts. Tony joked like in the old times and dance with Natasha as well with Carol and other ladies that didn’t want to miss the opportunity. When the dinner was almost over, the brunette invited Steve at his workshop, where the gave him a small box. Inside was the golden star of Rogers, in its perfect form. No holes, no scratches. Steve, meanwhile, pulled a slightly larger gift from his sack that Tony did not waste time opening and find out what it was. It was a photograph, of both of them, sitting under the white tree at the crossroad, the blond playing the harmonica and the blacksmith singing among applauses. Both happy.

“Do you know, Tony? You always sing the same lines to me, but when you locked me in your armor, you sang a new line that you never said it before.”

Stark coughed a little, feeling warm his cheeks. “I didn’t notice it.”

“Yeah, I can tell.”

“I want something to drink if you excuse me… and don’t look at me like that, the whiskey is dead for me.”

“Thank you, Tony, for never stop fight for me.”

“You will do the same for me” Smiled the blacksmith.

“Always.”

They walked out, leaving behind the workshop where a Colt was put in an “emergency box” among a dagger and blessing bullets that Big Grey Bear left before to return at the Savage Mountains against everybody wishes.

“Ou, I am sorry,” Tony said when he stumbled with Steve under the frame door.

“Tony.”

“Uh?”

Steve pointed above them, a mistletoe was hanging with a red ribbon. The brunette wanted to complain and say that he didn’t put that trick, but a strong arm pulled him against a broad chest and lips crashed into his. Tony closed his eyes, hugging the blonde and kissing him back until they need the air to live.

“Merry Christmas, Tony” Steve smiled but he didn’t release him.

“Merry Christmas, Steve”

The whispers of the guest made both watched a stagecoach arrived for the first time since the whole incident, stopping very close of the tables. The Pony Express brought to them their missing Mayor, a German guy named Erik Lehnsherr, who couldn’t return because of the attacks. Now he was back in town with his daughter and son. The girl got off greeting everybody but when he saw the Stark’s Vision machine, she ran fast as her dress allowed it. Tony thought in to say something but then he remembered that the last time a mysterious figure used his Vision, and he was very comfortable between Steve’s arms. As the blacksmith expected, his machine worked again and gave the girl one paper which she reads with a strange accent.

“Is time to be happy, and time to heal.”

Rogers arched an eyebrow while Tony snorted. Then, Natasha called their attention because some else appeared behind Lehnsherr’s boy. A very well-known man with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing fine clothes and a missing left arm.

“We found him waiting for the Pony Express, he told us that someone was waiting for him in Timely” Explained the Mayor.

“JAMES!”

“Nat!”

Tony blinked, stunned as Steve as well while the pair runs to each other and hugged between kisses and the whistling and howls of the rest. There was something in Bucky, and later they will know that he wasn’t really “alive” because the damn old Sheriff was an angel now but at that moment, the only thing that matters was the happiness in Natasha and the relief in Barnes.

“I really like this machine,” Said the young girl to Stark “Vision”

“Thank you Misses Lehnsherr.”

“Call me Wanda, and that boy over there is my twin brother Pietro.”

“Welcome to Timely” Greeted Steve, entwined his hand with Tony’s “And Merry Christmas.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Big Grey Bear smiled at his fire, looking up the sky and the stars. The fears and the sins vanished from his lands and Doom’s Valley could be for a little while a peaceful home to live. No more crossroad demons or trickery ones. In that night where the Moon stopped in the dark sky and made longer its stay, the people in Timely were happy and reunited. Big Grey Bear stood up and started to dance around his fire, singing the sacred song of his tribe with a broad smile when he thought in two men dancing as well but around the tables, the living proof that two hearts could change and shine so bright in the darkest hours and now the wind doesn’t be afraid.

 

**THE END**

 


End file.
